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Home , Aleksey Ovchinin, Briz (rocket stage), Ekspress, Ekspress (satellite bus), Fregat, GLONASS

Fact Sheet Updated March 25, 2019

LIST OF RUSSIAN SPACE LAUNCH FAILURES SINCE DEC. 2010

Russia’s once reliable fleet of space launch vehicles began a string of failures beginning in December 2010 that has created significant consternation in ’s space program and brought about firings and reorganizations, but the failures continue. Following is a list, with links to SpacePolicyOnline.com articles where available.

• December 2010, -Block DM, upper stage failure, three Russian GLONASS lost • February 2011, GEO-IK2, -, upper stage failure, Russian geodetic stranded in transfer • August 2011, AM-4, Proton-Briz, upper stage failure, Russian stranded in transfer orbit • August 2011, M-12M (called Progress 44 by NASA), U-, third stage failure due to clogged fuel line, Russian cargo for International lost • November 2011, Phobos-Grunt, -Fregat, upper stage failure, Russian Mars-bound spacecraft stranded in orbit • December 2011, .1a, third stage failure, Russian Meridian military communication satellite lost • August 2012, Proton-Briz, upper stage failure, Russian Ekspress-MD2 and Indonesian Telkom-3 communications satellites stranded in transfer orbit • December 2012, Proton-Briz, upper stage failure, Russian Yamal 402 communications satellite delivered to wrong orbit. • January 2013, Rokot-Briz KM, upper stage failure. Three Russian military communications satellites incorrectly placed into orbit; one ( 2483) nonfunctional. • February 2013, Zenit-3SL , first stage hydraulic pump failure, -27 communications satellite lost • July 2013, Proton-M failure immediately after launch due to incorrectly installed angular velocity sensors, three Russian GLONASS navigation satellites lost • May 2014, Proton-M failure, failed bearing in third stage steering engine, Russian Ekspress-AM4R communications satellite and Briz upper stage lost (replacement for Ekspress-AM4 satellite lost in August 2011) • August 2014, Soyuz ST-B/Fregat malfunction due to frozen hydrazine left two European Galileo navigation satellites in wrong orbit (launch was by from , ) • April 2015, Soyuz 2.1a malfunction at time of separation from Progress M-27M spacecraft, a cargo mission to ISS (NASA calls it Progress 59). Spacecraft placed in wrong orbit, made uncontrolled reentry over Pacific Ocean May 7, 2015 EDT. Investigation determine cause was “design peculiarity.” • (list continues on next page)

By Marcia S. Smith ©Space and Technology Policy Group, LLC 2

• May 2015, Proton-M/Briz-M failure, design flaw in turbopump of third stage steering engine. Mexican MexSat-1 (Centenario) lost. • December 2015, Soyuz 2.1v upper stage failure, military Kanopus-ST satellite lost • June 9, 2016 – not a Proton launch failure (the Intelsat 31 satellite successfully reached orbit), but problems with the second stage resulted in an investigation that grounded all Proton launches for almost a year after manufacturing defects were found in the second and third stage engines [see Anatoly Zak’s account on RussianSpaceWeb.com for details]. • December 2016, Soyuz-U, malfunction during third stage operation, Progress MS-04 cargo spacecraft lost due to third stage engine failure (fire in the oxidizer pump) • November 2017, Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat, M2-1 and 18 cubesats lost apparently due to incorrect programming of navigation equipment on the Fregat upper stage. • October 2018, Soyuz FG, Soyuz MS-10 crew launch to ISS. Strap-on collided with core stage approximately 2 minutes after liftoff instead of separating due to human error when mating the strap-on to the (separation pin was bent). Automated systems instantly separated the crew capsule carrying Russian cosmonaut and NASA and it landed safely.

By Marcia S. Smith ©Space and Technology Policy Group, LLC